Nicknamed “Lawnfield” by the many reporters who would camp out on the grass around the house, James A. Garfield’s Mentor home is now a portrait of his accomplishments as a husband, father, teacher, Civil War veteran, nine-term congressman and finally a president whose life and term were cut short by
an assassin’s bullet.
“We have 80 to 85 percent original artifacts,” says site manager Todd Arrington. “That’s really rare.”
Items include the coat Garfield wore while a general in the Civil War, a desk from the U.S. House of Representatives, the Bible on which he took the oath of office, a bronze death mask and a wreath sent to his funeral by Queen Victoria, preserved in wax since 1881.
But the highlight is the property itself, bought by the Garfields in 1876 and lived in by the family until 1936. Visitors can see the front porch where Garfield campaigned for the presidency in 1880, the parlor where he held campaign meetings and the dining room where he celebrated his victory in the 1880 presidential election.
“His presidency represented a lot of lost potential,” Arrington says. “But he was very accomplished outside of his presidency. There are a number of things here that let you see who Garfield was.”
Don’t Miss: The library, built after Garfield’s death, contains roughly 1,400 volumes. “His book collection was near and dear to him because he was an academic,” Arrington says. 8095 Mentor Ave., Mentor, 440-255-8722, nps.gov/jaga